Jason Greising
Dr. Archibald
English 110.50 B
3.1 INF rough draft
29 Oct. 2008
Console VS PC: Online Gaming
In the past decade the reign of PC online gaming domination has been weakened by the introduction of online gaming for the various console systems. Xbox 360 and PS3 were released this past year and millions of gamers have gone out and bought them. Xbox 360 live has over 1,000,000 games played on it every week, still though, the number of online gamers playing on their PC is still above and beyond that. Consoles are slowly gaining in popularity. So throughout this essay it I will explore the comparisons between gaming online with PC's vs. gaming online using consoles to determine which style is the industry leader.
The first comparison that should be made is pricing. A PC that has all the capabilities a regular hardcore gamer could want, will cost anywhere between $1500 and $2500. This is down from many years ago when computers were costing well over that price. For an Xbox 360 you will pay $399 along with an Xbox live connection membership that cost $49.95. The difference between the prices of the two is pretty significant. Where the PC makes up some ground on the console is the cost of games. Games for the console usually cost between $45-60 brand new. Games for a PC range between $20-35. Another positive for the PC is the easiness to obtain games, because of the ability to download and copy games directly to the PC. Bootlegging of gamesis far easier as well.(PC vs Console ,Jeffrey) So where the PC will cost you more up front after all the games that need to be bought for the Consoles the difference is cut down a little more.
Using online gaming as a social network will have its differences based on whether you use Consoles or your PC. Gender and age lines are crossed when playing online games. So the type of game being played will have an effect on the way people interact. Games that are played on your PC are usually fantasy world games where you create a character and play along with others in a non-confrontational matter. For Console games most of the games are competitive type games. For example sport games, and first person shooter games. In games like this women avoid identifying themselves as such in order to avoid any unwanted and frequently negative attention.(Fixing online game idiocracy, Fulton) The language that is used by some of the online console gamers can get very vulgar and vicious. Most people who experience this will play the games only a few times online then never return due to the verbal abuse that may be given out. You can have a 21 year old college student playing a game with 12 year old child and because of the nature of the game the college students could be swearing every other word. From a social stand point PC gaming will get the nod for a pleasant online gaming experience.
When you look at the gaming experience some one is expecting to get from an online gaming experience parents definitely need to be involved with censoring the games that their children are playing. If you don't want you children experiencing some very rude language then console gaming might not even be an option for them. Unless the console is being used the old fashion way when the players are sitting side by side on the couch in the same room. The point is that most mid twenty males that use old consoles for online gaming play these games with the intention of trying to show off their manhood even if it is using the idiotic manner of swearing like a sailor. Good news is that Microsoft is working on getting a patent to develop a technology that will make it possible to censor, in real time, and audio stream. The censorship is possible by analyzing the phonemes (sound syllables) which make up words and then can block sound combinations that create nasty words like the f-bomb and other profanity.(Microsoft award patent for real-time potty mouth bleeping, Nichols) Until that happens Console gaming will not have an audience that is quite the size of what it could be.
Another comparison that will go to the favor of the PC online gaming experience is the ever changing technologies in computers. The overall variety of games available is immense because of this. Even though the consoles are coming out with new games by the hundreds every year, computer games seem to be coming out with hundreds of games by the month. PCs are always on the cutting edge of gaming technology. The current generation of consoles with high-definition capabilities did briefly narrow the gap, but well-equipped PCs continue to offer superior graphics. Computer monitors can be found with considerably higher resolutions than HDTVs, and the latest multi-core processors and dual GPU solutions make it possible to build a remarkably powerful game system. Even if a console offers incredible technology upon its release, there is no way for it to compete with the rapid hardware advancements that have become a way of life in the computer industry. (PC vs Console, Spohn)
When a new console comes out it is always better then any PC that currently exists. But it never takes to long for the PC world to catch up to all the new hype. So while the console makers have to keep coming out with newer console systems every three years, the possibilities are that you will just have to download some updates for your PC to be comparable to the latest console. During the exploration above there were some good points made about how the console gaming world is gaining on the PC. As for now though online gaming on the PC will provide an overall better gaming experience for all ages and genders. Before long we will all have experienced both console and PC online gaming and there will always be those who prefer the mouse and the keyboard over the controller and the couch.
What is the thesis?
Online gaming has been weakened because of the introduction to online console games.
How is the essay organized?
There are four different topics listed in this essay. The first topic is the comparison between consoles and PC games. The second topic is the use on online gaming for social networking through using a console or PC. The third topic is of a parental concern dealing with foul language on the console(or lack there of) and the PC. The fourth point is the amount of games coming out: consoles come out with hundreds a year and PC games are produced hundreds by the month. The fifth point is the improvements done by PC games and consoles.
Was the organization logical?Yes, I enjoyed reading this essay the way it was organized.
Were any parts not relevant to the thesis?Yes
What examples and types of evidence were most convincing?The comparisons he uses in favor of PC online gaming.
What two places could use more development?Expand the conclusion.
Did the introduction catch your attention? Yes in the conclusion.
Tim Stauffer's feedback for Jason Greising's 3.1INF:
What is the thesis? Type out the thesis you find in the paper in your own words; it will help you see whether the writer's main insight is made sufficiently clear.
There is a war going on between online PC gaming and the online console games.
How is the essay organized? Describe in three or four sentences how the essay is organized. This will help you determine if the structure was clear.
First you make an intro and say that your essay will be about the online gaming competition of PC's and consoles. Then you talk about the prices for each. After that you discuss the bad language which effects console online gaming. You finish up with a discussion of how PC technology is superior. After that is a conclusion which is sort of merged with the point about the PC's technology.
Was the organization logical? Was this the best way the writer could present their information?
I think it flows well.
Were any parts not relevant to the thesis? As a reader did you pause to wonder how a statement or paragraph was related to the thesis?
The whole paper flows with the thesis.
What examples and types of evidence were most convincing? Did the essay engage your emotions and appeal to your experiences in appropriate ways?
I like competition so the story interested me. I liked the price comparisons and the discussion about how PC technology grows very quickly.
What two places could use more development? Which places in the text need more evidence, examples, explanation.
Maybe you could offer some specific examples of the games available for each platform. Also maybe you could include a testimonial of someone who was insulted in a gaming chat section.
Did the introduction catch your attention? The writer was probably writing about a topic that already interests them, so did they communicate that interest to you?
I used to follow the video game industry news very closely so the intro intrigued me.
I pointed out some grammar errors but I may have missed some so carefully proofread before submitting your final draft.
Jason Greising
Dr. Archibald
English 110.50 B
3.1 INF rough draft
29 Oct. 2008
Console VS PC: Online Gaming
In the past decade the reign of PC online gaming domination has been weakened by the introduction of online gaming for the various console systems. Xbox 360 and PS3 were released this past year and millions of gamers have gone out and bought them. Xbox 360 live has over 1,000,000 games played on it every week, still though, the number of online gamers playing on their PC is still above and beyond that. Consoles are slowly gaining in popularity. So throughout this essay it I will explore the comparisons between gaming online with PC's vs. gaming online using consoles to determine which style is the industry leader.
The first comparison that should be made is pricing. A PC that has all the capabilities a regular hardcore gamer could want, will cost anywhere between $1500 and $2500. This is down from many years ago when computers were costing well over that price. For an Xbox 360 you will pay $399 along with an Xbox live connection membership that cost $49.95. The difference between the prices of the two is pretty significant. Where the PC makes up some ground on the console is the cost of games. Games for the console usually cost between $45-60 brand new. Games for a PC range between $20-35. Another positive for the PC is the easiness to obtain games, because of the ability to download and copy games directly to the PC. Bootlegging of games is far easier as well.(PC vs Console ,Jeffrey) So where the PC will cost you more up front after all the games that need to be bought for the Consoles the difference is cut down a little more.
Using online gaming as a social network will have its differences based on whether you use Consoles or your PC. Gender and age lines are crossed when playing online games. So the type of game being played will have an effect on the way people interact. Games that are played on your PC are usually fantasy world games where you create a character and play along with others in a non-confrontational matter. For Console games most of the games are competitive type games. For example sport games, and first person shooter games. In games like this women avoid identifying themselves as such in order to avoid any unwanted and frequently negative attention.(Fixing online game idiocracy, Fulton) The language that is used by some of the online console gamers can get very vulgar and vicious. Most people who experience this will play the games only a few times online then never return due to the verbal abuse that may be given out. You can have a 21 year old college student playing a game with 12 year old child and because of the nature of the game the college students could be swearing every other word. From a social stand point PC gaming will get the nod for a pleasant online gaming experience.
When you look at the gaming experience some one is expecting to get from an online gaming experience parents definitely need to be involved with censoring the games that their children are playing. If you don't want you children experiencing some very rude language then console gaming might not even be an option for them. Unless the console is being used the old fashion way when the players are sitting side by side on the couch in the same room. The point is that most mid twenty males that use old consoles for online gaming play these games with the intention of trying to show off their manhood even if it is using the idiotic manner of swearing like a sailor. Good news is that Microsoft is working on getting a patent to develop a technology that will make it possible to censor, in real time, and audio stream. The censorship is possible by analyzing the phonemes (sound syllables) which make up words and then can block sound combinations that create nasty words like the f-bomb and other profanity.(Microsoft award patent for real-time potty mouth bleeping, Nichols) Until that happens Console gaming will not have an audience that is quite the size of what it could be.
Another comparison that will go to the favor of the PC online gaming experience is the ever changing technologies in computers. The overall variety of games available is immense because of this. Even though the consoles are coming out with new games by the hundreds every year, computer games seem to be coming out with hundreds of games by the month. PCs are always on the cutting edge of gaming technology. The current generation of consoles with high-definition capabilities did briefly narrow the gap, but well-equipped PCs continue to offer superior graphics. Computer monitors can be found with considerably higher resolutions than HDTVs, and the latest multi-core processors and dual GPU solutions make it possible to build a remarkably powerful game system. Even if a console offers incredible technology upon its release, there is no way for it to compete with the rapid hardware advancements that have become a way of life in the computer industry. (PC vs Console, Spohn)
When a new console comes out it is always better then any PC that currently exists. But it never takes to long for the PC world to catch up to all the new hype. So while the console makers have to keep coming out with newer console systems every three years, the possibilities are that you will just have to download some updates for your PC to be comparable to the latest console. During the exploration above there were some good points made about how the console gaming world is gaining on the PC. As for now though online gaming on the PC will provide an overall better gaming experience for all ages and genders. Before long we will all have experienced both console and PC online gaming and there will always be those who prefer the mouse and the keyboard over the controller and the couch.
- What is the thesis?
Online gaming has been weakened because of the introduction to online console games.- How is the essay organized?
There are four different topics listed in this essay. The first topic is the comparison between consoles and PC games. The second topic is the use on online gaming for social networking through using a console or PC. The third topic is of a parental concern dealing with foul language on the console(or lack there of) and the PC. The fourth point is the amount of games coming out: consoles come out with hundreds a year and PC games are produced hundreds by the month. The fifth point is the improvements done by PC games and consoles.Tim Stauffer's feedback for Jason Greising's 3.1INF:
There is a war going on between online PC gaming and the online console games.
How is the essay organized? Describe in three or four sentences how the essay is organized. This will help you determine if the structure was clear.
First you make an intro and say that your essay will be about the online gaming competition of PC's and consoles. Then you talk about the prices for each. After that you discuss the bad language which effects console online gaming. You finish up with a discussion of how PC technology is superior. After that is a conclusion which is sort of merged with the point about the PC's technology.
I think it flows well.
The whole paper flows with the thesis.
I like competition so the story interested me. I liked the price comparisons and the discussion about how PC technology grows very quickly.
Maybe you could offer some specific examples of the games available for each platform. Also maybe you could include a testimonial of someone who was insulted in a gaming chat section.
I used to follow the video game industry news very closely so the intro intrigued me.
I pointed out some grammar errors but I may have missed some so carefully proofread before submitting your final draft.